North Carolina Newspapers

Most Of The News All The Time Volume No. 17 No. 29 THE STATE PORT PILOT A Good Newspaper In A Good Community 6-Pages Today SOUTHPORT, N. C. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1953 PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY The Pilot Covers Brunswick County $1.50 PER YEAR Teachers Attend Friday Session In Wilmington Miss Gertrude Loughlin Is Named Vice-President Of Elementary School Super visors; Denning Heads Superintendents ROBESON EDUCATOR ELECTED PRESIDENT Editor Santford Martin Of Winston-Salem Calls For "Fourth R” In School Curriculum The consolidated schools for white children were closed for the day Friday as teachers and principals attended an all-day meting of the Southeastern North Carolina Education Association in Wilmington. During the business meeting Miss Gertrude Loughlin of Bruns wick county was elected vice president of the elementary school supervisors division. Also of local interest was the election of J. T. Denning, formerly of Brunswick county, as president of the division for county superin tendents. Between 1500 and 2000 teachers from 13 counties attended the Southeastern District session at New Hanover County High School auditorium Friday. The principal address was de livered by Santford Martin, edi tor of the Sunday Journal-Senti nel of Winston-Salem, who de clared the great need of .the mom ent in the field of education in the "Fourth R”. Editor Martin, one-time secre tary to Governor Bickett and now a member of the State Board of Education, said he found the "Fourth R” in the Bible: “Righte ousness exalteth a nation.” Challenging teachers to do more than instruct youth in how to ma ke a living, the speaker declared that "The greatest bulwark a gainst Communism in America is a public school system with tea chers who are trained and dedi cated to teach how to make a life.” Editor Martin suggested that the idea of making the child hap py had its points, but asserted ’ that “We don’t want to make a nation of happy illiterates.” He proposed five steps for con tinued progress in education in North Carolina. These were listed as improvements in plant facili ties, consolidation of small high schools, reduction in teacher load, solving of the teacher shortage problem, and a movement to bri ng the colleges closer to the peo ple. He cited Wilmington Junior College as an example of what should be done to place two years of college education within reach of more people. irltfNtwt Flmthtt SATURDAY DANCE There will be a round and squ are dance at the old gymnasium on Saturday night to raise funds for repair of that building. Jimmy Denning and his boys will furnish the music. KING GRADUATES Among the 1953 graduates of Kings Business College in Raleigh are LeVeme Edwards, son of Mr. and Mrs. L. L. Edwards of Boli via, who has completed the course in junior accounting; and Doris Anderson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Anderson of Bolivia, who has completed training in the course of business machines. P. T. aJ POSTPONED The next regular meeting of the Southport Parent-Teacher As sociation has been postponed from Thursday, December 3, un til Thursday, December 10. This change is being made in order that there may be no conflict with the Christmas parade in Wil mington on the evening on Dec ember 3. SCHOOL, HOLIDAY The schools of Brunswick coun ty are letting out at noon today and classes will not be resumed until Monday morning. The coun ty and city offices, the Wacca maw Bank and Trust Co., both its Southport and Shallotte branches, and the post offices of the county will be closed tomorrow in obser vance of Thanksgiving day. IN RICHMOND Dr. and Mrs. C. E. Crandell are leaving this afternoon for Rich mond, Va., where they will attend the dedication ceremony of the new two million dollar dental building at Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Crandell is a gra duate of that school. They will be guests of Dr. and Mrs. H. D. Coy. Dr. Crandell will not return to his office until Monday. Preparing For Soil Election In Brunswick Petition May Be Circulated To Obtain Nomination Of Any Desirable Candidate; Voting During Week Of December 7-12 A meeting of the Brunswick County Board of Soil Conserva tion Supervisors was recently held at the high school in Shallotte. J. D. Bellamy, Jr. of Shallotte, chairman of the local board and also chairman of the board of the Lower Cape Fear Soil Con servation District, presided. The work of the District was reviewed and county goals for the coming year was discussed and set up. Plans were also made for circulating petitions to nominate candidates for a member of the county board ta replace the mem ber of the board whose term ex pires at the end of the year. It was decided to circulate a nomina ting petition for T. C. Lennon of Supply to fill this position. Chair man Bellamy then stated that if there was any other group in the county that wanted to nominate a candidate that they may do so by filing a petition with the State Soil Conservation Committee in Raleigh. An election will be held during the week of December 7-12 to will this position in which any qualified voter in the county may vote. Ballot boxes will be placed at the various community cen ters throughout the county. The Brunswick County board of Soil Conservation Supervisors is now composed of: J. D. Bellamy, Jr., of Shallotte, Corbett Coleman of Ash and G. K. Lewis of Winn [ abow. Varnumtownls Fishing Center More Fish And More Fish ermen Than Ever Before In History Have Made This A Busy Community Recently Although theyl frankly admit that they do not know how long it will last, residents of the Var numtown community declare that they have seen more fish and fishermen during the past three weeks than they had ever before seen. i Varnumtown is about two miles up the west side of Lockwoods Folly river from Holden Beach and a mile across from Howell’s Point. At the beach, at Howell's Point and apparently especally at Varnumtown, sportsmen have be en coming down in unprecedented numbers. Some days, it is said, there are as many as 100 cars, full of eager fishermen. All available small boats have been taken every day. In addition a great many of the fishing par ties bring their own boats and outboards. Some even fish from banks and docks and everybody has been getting fish. The beautiful speckled trout has been the main attraction but the fishing parties have also tak en plenty of drum. A rather un usual thing has been that a lot of bonita have also been found. These are being taken mostly in the waterway and river channels. It is said that most of the trout taken in recent days weigh ed two and a half pounds each. Continued On Page Four) Sailfish Listed In Saturday Catch Charlotte Party Out Aboard3 Idle-On II With Captain Basil Watts Had One Of Season’s Most Spectacular Catches SAILFISH WEIGHED EXACTLY 50-LBS. Other Parties Going Outside From Southport During Past Week Also Have Reported Making Sat isfactory Catches Of Fish BY W. B. K1./.IAH Most anybody will tell you that November 21 is too late to go deep sea fishing off the North Carolina coast, but a Charlotte party fishing aboard the Idle On II Saturday with Capt. Basil Watts disproved this theory by making what well might be the best catch of the season, including a sailfish. The sail was 7-feet in length and weighed 50-pounds. Thomas Sain was the lucky angler. Other members of the party joined in with the catch that in cluded 47 king mackeral, 3 boni to, 1 amberjack and two dolphin. With a rather poor spring and summer sport fishing season due to continuous windy weather, the Southport area has come through during the fall to still more stro ngly establish the fact that Fry (Continued on Page Four) Drawbridge Will Although Travel To And From Holden Beach Will Be Expedited, Some Hate To See Ferry Service En ded Unofficially it has been stated that the new Holden Beach draw bridge will be serving the public the first of the year. TTie pictures que old feri'y that has been cuss ed and discussed and which has retained the love of many people for years, will be relegated to the past. The modernizing of Holden Beach through the operation of the bridge will not be entirely regret. This regret will come through the abandonment of the ferry that has served for many Some of the residents of the beach believe the ferry has been the most valuable publicity asset that the beach has had. Even the cussing that has de veloped on many occassions as a result of traffic bottlenecks has been of publicity value. Bridges are just bridges and attract little attention. Ferries are different. There is something intriguing, somewhat in th na ture of a boat ride in their wan dering from bank to bank. It is said that with the open ing of the bridge Waldo Hewett, with the ferry for the past 7 years, and A. W. Clemmons, with 10 years to his credit, will both move down the waterway to be confie bridge tenders. In that ca pacity they will get much less exercise than they have been get tin. As bridge tenders they will have to have the ability to look both ways at once and swing the ponderous span around whenever a boat is approaching. Replace Judge Grady To Hold Court Here Clerk of Superior Court Sam T. Bennett has been notified that Judge Henry A. Grady of New Bern will preside at the one week term of Superior Court that is to convene here Monday. The term is for the handling of civil cases only. Including a considerable number of divor **» cases a total of 54 suits are on the docket for trail. A rather interesting fact that a total of 30 lawyers are listed on the docket as attorneys in the var ious cases and these attorneys include Senator Alton A. Len non. Despite the long docket, court house officials express doubts if Judge Grady will carry the term through teh full week that is scheduled. Long Beach Man Back In States Major Ernest Middleton Re turns To United States Following Extended Duty With Air Force In Korea Major Ernest F. Middleton, Jr., Charleston man who is almost re garded as a Southport and Long Beach boy by reason of his long association with Long Beach, is now in Selma, Ala., taking a 14 weeks training course on the fastest jet planes owned by the U. S. Air Force. Major Middleton has just re cently returned from Korea. A fighter pilot during World War II, he was mustered out at the con clusion of the war and for two (Continued on'page four) Begin Driving Permanent Pile By December 15 All Test Piling Expected To Have Been Completed By That Time And Work Of Permanent Construction Ready To Start ACCURATE DATA HAS RESULTED Definite Determination Has Been Reached Regarding Needs For Length Of Piling Along Dock Area Employees of the Diamond Con struction Company of Norfolk and Savannah stated this week that it is now definitely understood that December 15 will marke the beginning of the permanent pile driving for the three government .docks on the river just above Southport. This will be the start of real construction work by this big company. They have two big stem pile drivers at work for two months, but the work being done might be called destructive as well as constructive. All up and down the nearly a mile and a half long river fron tage that the docks will occupy the pile drivers have been driving test pilings and pulling them up again. One driven and tested piling serves as a guide to the needed length for hundreds of permanent pilings as to just how long each must be in order to give its pro per share of whar support. A test piling, according to in formation from the Army engi neers, must stand up alone under a weight of 100 tons. If it will not do this at the first try it is driven deeper until it gets the proper grip. In driving, each of the huge steam hammer has its weight computed and the opera tors know after each blow app roximately how many tons a piling there and in nearby area's will carry when driven to the same depth. So accurate are the computa tions of the force of the blows from the hammer, it is very sel dom that the follow-up load test shows any need for the test pil ing to be driven any deeper. In making the test to determine if the figures on the weight of the blows from the hammer were right, the test piling is loaded by (Continued on Page 4) Kidnapping Case Holds Interest Presiding Jurist At Green lease Case Was Brother In-Law Of Southport Wo man The general public interest in the Greenlease kidnap trial last week was more than shared by Mrs. Abe C. Jones of Southport, whose brother-in-law, Judge Al bert L. Reeves, presided over the case and at its conclusion passed the sentence of death upon Carl Austin Hall and Bonnie Brown Heady. Judge Reeves is a Federal jurist of wide reputation and a few ye ars ago while serving in the Wash ington, D. C., district presided ov er another trial which attracted National interest. This was the case in which Judith Coplan, pret Continued On Page Four) W. B. KJSZIAH Our ROVING Reporter Dr. Jasper L. Stuckey, State Geologist, writes that at the first opportunity some member of his staff will be here and will vjsit the marl deposits recently found in Town Creek township. Hr Will also look into other possible oc curences of marl in other sections of Brunswick. Some sources Re lieve that there is a great qeal of marl lying undiscovered 1 in Brunswick county. Owing to jits value in road and driveway build ing, discoveries of the location may be valuable. We had a discussion with pill Grady of the Holden Beach fairy community this past week pas over when his subscription to The State Port Pilot expires. Hisjla bel reads, January, 1954, fills meaning that he still, at the ilpie, had something over two moi^hs 1 before he would miss getting his paper. The discussion was interrup ted by Mrs. Grady inviting your columnist and the tax collector to a beefsteak dinner, the beef steak being smothered in onions and on the house. Carl Goerch and Bill Sharpe in writing about will cooked foods here and there about the State have missed out entirely on the Gradys. With the tax collector’s backing we nomi nate Mrs. Grady as one of the best cooks we have met up with in Brunswick county. And, since we have mentioned Bill Sharpe, we recall that he wrote us a long, nice letter this week. Bill reminded us that some time ago he had a mountain geo graphy edition of the State Maga zine. It made such a hit that he (Continued on Page Two) Harmon Smith New Scoring Champion Waccamaw High School Junior Pours In 52 Points Against Nakina, But Gives Team Mates Credit For Making It Possible By JIGGS POWERS * (News Reporter Sports Editor) ASH, Nov. 23. — We found “H. Smith” here Friday night. Smith is the boy who broke the Columbus County boys’ basketball scoring record for individuals in a single game a week earlier, you know. He scored 52 points in a game at Nakina. The new Columbus County ma le point - making champ is a member of the Waccamaw High School quint of Brunswick Coun ty, the school that is located he rq. That’s right . . . the boy who scored the most points in a single basketball game played in Colum bus County lives in Brunswick County! Arriving early for Waccamaw’s return cage double-bill against Nakina here, Friday night, we met ”H” prior to gametime. We found that liis real name was Harmon Smith. We had known him only as "H. Smith” for a week — that’s the way he was recorded on the Nakina score book the night he set his mark. Thus our journey here to find him, to discover who he really was. Harmon is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin E. Smith of Long wood. A 17-year-old junior at Waccamaw, he and his family mo ved to this locality four years ago (Continued on Page Two) _ This is Center HARMON SMI TH, star of the Waccamaw High School basketball quint from Brunswick County. The lanky ea ger set a new individual scoring record for a single Columbus Co unty boys’ basketball game re cently when he racked up 52 po ints at Nakina. He is only a jun ior at Waccamaw. His high total also set a scoring record for a boys’ team from Brunswick Co? unty. U.S. Navy Bomber Crashes In River Change Name Of PMA Organization The reorganization of the Un ited States Department of Agri culture which the Secretary re cently announced does not cha nge the duties of the State, County and Community Commi ttees, but does result in new name designations as follows: Washington - “Commodity Stabilization Service” (CSS) Commodity Offices - -“CSS Commodity Offices” State and County Offices - “Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation” (ASC) This chan gein name applies to Bruns wick County and is effective immediately. Fighting Causes Trouble In Court Routine Matters Disposed Of Monday In Brunswick County Recorder’s Court For engaging- in a fight in whi ch a deadly weapon was used, two Negroes, Henry Brown and Ben Posey, were each given six months on the roads when tried in the Recorder’s Court Monday. As a result of the same affray, Maggie Gore was given 30 days in jail. Two other participants, Marion Brown and Cornelius Gore were each given 30-day sentences, suspended on payment of costs! and good behavior for two years. Other cases disposed of during the Monday session were as fol lows: Louis James Evans, no opera- [ tors license, not guilty. Ottis A. King, non-support, nol pros with leave upon agreement that the defendant pay to the Clerk of Court for the support of his three minor children the sum of $30 on or before November 30, and $15 per month thereafter. Kenneth Edward Dowell, speed ing, fined $10 and costs. James Grover Taylor, speeding, fined $15 and costs. Thomas James Hall, possession, fined $10 and costs. J. B. Covington, public drun kenness, fined $10 and costs. Liston Randall, public drunken ness, fined $10 and costs. Mrs. John William Grady, as sault with deadly weapon with intent to kill, no probable cause found. Harry Lee McCoy, improper equipment, ordered to pay one halfthe costs. Maynard Fair Meekins, speed ing, fined $15 and costs. John Isham Stone, public drun kenness, 30 days suspended on payment of costs and good be havior for one year. Johnnie Grady, manufacturing and possession, one year on ro i .(Continued On Page Four) Quick Action On Part Of Men At Oak Island Late Sunday Afternoon Saves All Four Members Of Crew FIRE IS CAUSE OF EMERGENCY LANDING Plane Hit Water Off Point Of Caswell And Sank Im mediately ; Two Men Injured In Landing Thrown clear of their blazing; bomber when it crash landed and j sank within 15 seconds after strik ing the water, four Naval Air men were plucked by the Oak Island Coast Guard from the waters of the Cape Fear late Sunday afternoon. They were pra ctically unharmed, except from the shock of the terrific impact when the plane hit the water. Boatswain H. C. Johnson, in command at Oak Island, states that the plane was first sighted by the Coast Guard at 4:48. Fly ing on a course that would lead it directly over the station, it was evidently in trouble and even by the time it was roaring over head a crew was manning the 42-ft. crash boat. The Coast Guard boat reached the scene of the crash 27 minutes after it was ob served the plane was in trouble. Although they had no time in which to launch a pontonn raft, crewmen on the plane were wear ing Mae West life jackets, which kept them afloat until the crash boat arrived and picked them up. They were rushed to the station (Continued on Page Four) Methodists Have A New Minister The Rev. R. H. Jordan Will Come Here From Pem broke And Will Hold First Service On Sunday Morning At a special Cabinet Session of the North Carolina Conference last Thursday in Rocky Mount the Rev. R. H. Jordan was assigned to the Southport charge to re place the Rev. Norwood L. Jones. This announcement was made | here Sunday by the Rev. V. E. Queen, district superintendent, who for the second consecutive Sunday since conference was fill ing the pulpit at the morning service at Trinity Methodist chu rch. The Rev. Mr. Jordan has served the Methodist church at Pembroke for the past three ye ars and has earned the reputation of being one of the most able yo ung ministers in the North Caro lina Conference. He will preach Sunday morning at Trinity Methodist Church, but he will not move his family here until the following week. The new minister is a gradu Continued On Page Four) Shows Interest In Future Use Of Ft. Johnson Col. R. L. Hill In Southport Tuesday And Spent Part Of His Time Making In spection Of Garrison Buil ding MAY BE USED BY ARMY OFFICIALS If Air Force Plans To Re linquish Present Lease On Property Some Tie-Up With Sunny Point May Result BY W. B. KEZIAH Here yesterday to look over the Garrison Building for possi ble use in the event the 31st Crash Outfit decided to give it up, Col. R. L. Hill of the Army Engineers discussed the matter' of the building with Warrant Of ficer W. A. Norris of the Air Force. It is understood that the War rant Officer was unable to throw any light on whether the Air Fo rce plans to continue the use of the Garrison Building. Informa tion will have to come from head quarters. Colonel Hill stated to a rep resentative of this paper that the New York Port of Embarkation would probably find the building adapted to some of its needs here. To this end he made an inspection of the building in order to be able to report on what facilities it would provide in the event the Air Force leaves. The building is directly in front of the engineer docks. Relative to the docks here Col. Hill stated, “We may fix up the docks.” This could mean either rebuilding and enlarging the present structure or building an entirely new' one. One thing appears certain, it will need to be much larger than the present structure. The up-river installation when it is completed will make it nece ssary that a big dredge be based here for maintenance work on the bar, channels and dock area. It would have to be here most of each year-. A dock large and strong enough for it and other government shipping will be nec essary. The New York Port of Embarkation, if it gets the Gar rison Building, will probably al so keep boats of various types at the engineers dock. The fact is now generally kno wn that the terminals will be operated by the New York Fort of Embarkation, with some 200 Army Transportation Department (Continued on Page Four) Report Details Sheriff Activity Report Submitted By Office Deputy H. G. Radcliff To Sheriff E. V, Leonard De tails Activity On Part Of Sheriff Department Activities of the Sheriff’s De partment for the fiscal year that ended on November 1st is shown in the following report from Of fice Deputy H. G. Ratcliffe to Sheriff E. V. Leonard. Total number of arrests made, 232; by individual officers, Sher iff Leonard, 70; Deputy Long, 58; Deputy Alex Williams, 54; Deputy Charles Skipper, 35; Deputy Rat cliffe, 10; Deputy Alex Ganey, 5. Total number of civil cases handled was 147; 16 whiskey stills were captured and destroyed Continued On Page Four) Tide "Table Following Is the tide foible for Southport during the next week. These hours are approxi mately correct and were furn ished The State Port Pilot through the courtesy of the Cape Fear Pilot’s Association. High Tide Low Tide Thursday, November 26 11:59 A. M. 5:36 A. M. 0:00 P. M. 6:19 P. M. Friday, November 27 0:35 A. M. 6:31 A. M. 12:49 P. M. 7:11 P. M. Saturday, November 28 1:28 A. M. 7:27 A. M. 1:38 P. M. 8:02 P. M. Sunday, November 29 2:22 A. M. 8:25 A. M. 2:29 P. M. 8:53 P. M. Monday, November 30 3:14 A. M. 9:23 A. M. 3:19 P. M. 9:43 P. M. Tuesday, December 1 4:05 A. M. 10:17 A. M. 4:09 P. M. 10:30 P. M. Wednesday, December 2 4:52 A. M. 11:08 A. M. 4:56 P. M. 11:16 P. M.